Pressure exerting device



June 16, 1931. y s. s. COLT 1,809,962

PRESSURE EXERTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l lPatented June 16, 1931 trici:

errar v. SAMUEL S. COLT, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY PRESSURE EXERTING- DEVICE lApplication led October 8, 1927. Serial N'o. 224,918.

This invention relates, generally, to means for setting-up and tightening forms used in pouring concrete structures; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel construction of a device which may itself be used as a clamp means upon tie-rods and similar elements employed to bind the walls of concrete forms in operative yassembled condition, or which may be used as a tightening or setting-up tool for pressing home clamp-collars upon the tie-rods of concrete form structures.

This invention has for its principal object to provide a novel and very eliicient device for the purposes above indicated, which is reduced to very few parts of simple construction and arrangement; which in operation is self-locking on a tie-rod while adapted to exert tightening and holding upon a form wall, or to exert tightening pressure upon a clamp-collar preparatory to tightening setscrews by which ythe latter is finally locked on the tie-rod in holding relationto` a form wall.

Gther objects of this invention, not at,y this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

The -invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse section through a concrete form showing a tie-rod extending therethrough to bind the sidewalls of the form in assembled relation, said tie-rod haver ing a clamp-collar thereon, and the novel tightening device embodying my present invention being shown in side elevation in operative relation to the tie-rod and clampcollar and as employed to tightly set up the latter preparatory to finally locking the same to the tie-rod; Figure 2 is a similar view, with the clamp-collar and tightening device shown in vertical section; and Figure 3 is a top-side elevation of clamp-collar and tightening device, as disposed in Figure 1.

Figure 1 is a View similar to that shown in Figure 1, but illustrating the novel tightening device as above used to lock up and clamp the form walls in place. i

Figure 5 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 but illustrating a simplified construction of my novel tighten ing device which embodies however the essential principles of the instant invention. V Y

Referring'lirst to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive ,55 of the drawings, the reference characterL 10 indicates the side walls offa concrete form and 11 a tie-rod extending therethrough to secure the same in the desired assembled relation. One end of the tie-rod may be provided with a head 12, or any other suitable form yof stop for engaging the tie-rod with a wall 10 at one side of the' form. The opposite end 11 of the tie-rod extends in outward projection 'y through and upon the exterior G5 face of the wall 10 at the other side of the form, Slidably disposed on the free projecting end portion 11 of said tie-rod is a clampcollar 13, preferably provided at its inner end with a. flange 14 to furnish a broad bear- 70 ing forengagement with the adjacent side wall -10 of the form.l Said clamp-collar is preferably provided with set screws 15 threaded into and through opposite sides thereof'. rlhe said clamp-collar 13, infprac- 75 tice, is forced tightly homeon the tie-rod to abut the exterior face of the adjacent wall of the concrete form, whereupon the set; screws 15 are turned into-biting engagement with the tie-rod to hold the clamp-collar in so f such operative holding relation to said form wall. lt is desirable before locking'` the clamp-'collar on the tie-rod to be assured that the same isiirmly and tightly lpressed into desired operative holding relation to the form wall. In order to thrust home the clamp-collarv into such desired relation to the' form have provided the device of the instant invention by means of which a very considerable thrusting pressure can be eXer- 4 ciscd on the collar both 'to drive the same v home and to hold the same in the desired tightened relation to the formed wall preparatory to locking the same on the tie-rod by means of the set screws 15. The novel device, adapted to so function,comprises a gripping plate 16 having through its body an opening 17 through which the end 11 of the tie-rod may bel extended. Said opening 17 of the gripping plate is slightly larger 100 in diameter than the diameter of the tie-rod and when disposed on the latter and canted thereon the margins of the opening 17 respectively at the upper and lower edges thereof indicated by the reference character 18, will provide biting edges for gripping the tie-rod when the device is being used. Pivotally connected between ears 19 which are integrally formed with one end of said gripping plate 16, and by means of the pivot pin or bolt 20 is a forwardly extending link 21 which terminates at its free end in a slide sleeve 22 through which the tie-rod 11`eX- tends so that said sleeve can slide thereon. Connected with the sides of the sleeve so as to project laterally therefrom in opposite directions are journal studs 23. The reference character 24 indicates a backing plate provided with an opening 25 through which the tie-rod 11 may extend. Said backing plate is preferably made of malleable iron and springing from its rear face and preferably forming an integral part thereof are pairs of yoke fingers 26, the members of which may be bent around the journal studs 23 so as to pivotally connect said backing plate with the sleeve for turning movement on the horizontal transverse axes of said journal studs 23. Atlixed to the front face of said backing plate 24 is a facing of frictional material 27. This frictional material may consist of leather, rubber, asbestos, fabric, wood, apparently soft metal, or anyother desirable material calculated to set up a frictional resistance to slip as to any metal material bearing against the same. Cooperating with said backing plate and the parts serving to anchor the same in position in the manner subsequently to be described, is a vertically movable wedge member 28, this wedge member 28 is provided with an opening 29 through its rear side whereby the wedge may straddle the tie-rod 11 and yet be vertically movable relative thereto. The wedge may be subject to considerable variation as to its detailform So long as the characteristic converging front and rear faces of the same are provided.

In making use of the device of this invention for setting up and tightening a clamp collar arranged upon a tie-rod andmovable thereon again-st a form wall to hold the latter, thewedge member 28 is engaged over the tierod rearwardly of the clamp collar and theV backing plate with its anchoring elements are next engaged over the tie-rod behind and in contact with the wedge member, the latter being under such conditions in an initial raised position. Owing to the vpivotal connection of the backing plates 24 with its anchoring means the same will readily conform itself to the angle of the wedge member and in such a manner as to give a broad bearing surface against which the wedge member may thrust or gain purchase. 1n the initial arrangement of the device on the tie-rod the wedge is raised and the backing plate is moved up against the rear face of the same and gripping plate 16 canted rearward so as to bring' the gripping edges 18 of its opening in Contact with the tie-rod, all in the manner shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Viith the parts in the initial position just above described and with the set screws 15 of the clamp-collar loosened so that said clamp-collar may slide on the tie-rod, the device is ready for operation. The manner of actuating the device consists merely in driving down the wedge 28. The effect of downward movement of the wedge under suitably applied downward driving force is to cause the same to thrust back against the backing plate 24, and this tendency of the backing plate 2e to move rearward is in turn transmitted to the link 21 whereby a rearward thrusting pressure is exerted on the upper end ofthe canted gripping plate 26 so that the biting edges 18 of the opening thereof are caused to strongly grip the tie-rod so as to hold the gripping plate immovable thereon and thus in turn hold the backing plate and interconnecting link against any rearward yielding movement. The backing plate being thus held against rearward yielding at once provides the necessary purchase against which the wedge 28 may act as it is driven downward to the end that the thrust ofthe wedge is exerted entirely upon the slidable collar 13 and so that the latter is forced forwardly into tight holding relation to the adjacent form wall 10. Incidental to the operation it would be obvious that the tie-rod would also be drawn in such a manner as to cause its opposite headed end 12 to be like` wise tightly engaged with the opposite form wall 10. After the clamp collar has thus been pressed home the set screws 15 may be tightened so as to lock the clamp bars immovably upon the tie-rod and maintain in proper holding engagement to the form wall. lifter the collar has thus been locked the tightening device may be removed from the tie-rod and used over again' for a repetition of the operationin connection with another tie-rod and its clamp collar. To remove the tightening device all that is necessary to do is to exert an outwardly swinging pressure on the lower end of the gripping plate 16 whereby the sameis quickly and easily released from its gripping relation to the tie-rod so that both it and the sleeve 22 and backing plate 24 may be slid off the end of the tie-rod. In order to prevent the wedge member 28 against receding from its downwardly driven wedging relation to the clamp collar, the f ictional facing 27 above described in provided on the backing plate 2e, the same offering sui'licient friction to retain the wedge against upwardly yielding movement.

Owing to the novel character involved in the construction and arrangement of parts llb A operation already above indicated.

levee@ making up the tightening device of this invention it is possible to use the same per se as means for directly engaging and locking relation. Such use is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings and it will be obvious. from an inspection of said figure that with the clamp collar removed the wedge member 28 may exercise its thrust directly against the adjacent form wall, the holding of the backing plate 24 against rearward yielding is attained by the actionof the gripping plate 16 in the same manner as already above described so that as the wedge is driven downward relative to the unyielding backing plate it will thrust tightly into place and will hold the adjacent form wall in desired assembled position. The tightening device. when used alone in the manner just described is self locking and will continue to tightly bind the form wall in position until such time as it may be released by disengaging its gripping plate 16 from operative gripping relation to the end of the tie-rod 11, or by knocking out the wedge. y

Referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, I have shown therein a form of my instant invention in which the parts making up the same have been reduced to a minimum, while yet retaining the elements necessary to its proper functioning by the general mode of In this modified simple form of the invention I provide a grip ing plate 30 having an opening 31 in its bo y through which the end 11 of a tie-rod may extend and said opening providing at its upper and lower edges 32 portions adapted to grip the tie-rod when the gripping plate is canted or tilted to operative position. Extending from the upper end of said gripping plate and preferably integral therewith is a forwardly projecting extension or arm 33. Adapted to cooperate with the gripping plate 30 thus constructed is a wedge member 34. In the use of the device of the described simplified form the gripping plate 30 is engaged upon the end of the tie-rod l1. and canted thereon by swinging backwardly its upper end and the same is positioned in an outwardly spaced relation to the adjacent form wall 10 so that the wedge member 34 may be interposed between said form wall 10 and the extremity of the arm 33 of said gripping plate. It will be readily understood that when the parts are in such position that the wedge member 34 may be driven downwardly and as its downward movement is initiatedit will tend to thrust rearwardly upon the end of the arm 33 in engagement with its rear face whereby rearward thrusting pressure is exerted on the upper end of the gripping plate 30 which will not only hold the same in canted position but which will cause the gripping edges 32 of its opening 31 to bind upon the tie-rod so as to `firmly and unyieldably secure the gripping plate thereto. As a consequence of this ac tion as the wedge members continue to be driven down the arm 33 servesto give purchase thereto in a forward thrusting action thereof upon vand against the adjacent form y wall 10, all of which lwill be understood from shown in Figures 1 yto 4 or in the form shown in Figure 5, is preferably made of hardened" Attention is called, however, to my` steel. copending application Serial No. 192,970, filed May 20, 1927, in which a gripping element functioning relative to a tie-rod in a manner similar to that indicated in the in-V stant case is shown and in which provision is made for removably mounting a show plate in connection with the gripping member. An arrangement of thisrkind maybe employedin connection with the construction ofthe instant invention if desired.

It will be obvious that the novel device above described is not limited for use in setting up concrete forms only, but that the same may be employed in connection `with any other character of structure, o r for any operation wherein it is desired to forcibly move a sliding member on a rod, shaft or other means in connection with which it may be mounted.

`I ani aware that some changes maybe made in the above described constructions and any widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof; it is intentl ed,'there fore, thatV all matter contained in the above description andshown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1.,A pressure exerting device of the kind described engageable with tie-'rods of concrete forms-'or other structures, comprising a gripping element having an opening through which a tie-rod may extend, to `dispose said element transversely of said tie-rod, said gripping element being tiltable on said tierod in direction of thezlongitudinal axis of the latter to bring edges of its openinginto gripping `engagement with the tie-rod, a v

wedgemember, and a forward angularly extending means connectedwith `one end por tion of said ygripping element engageable by Y said wedge member and operative under `back-pressure thereof Vto tilt and hold said element in gripping relation to said tie-rod.

2. A pressure exerting device of the kind described engageable With the tie-rods of concrete forms or other structures, comprising a gripping element tiltable relative to a tie-rod, said element having means to grip the tie-rod When tilted, a tilting-link pivoted by one end to an end of said gripping element and having its opposite end slidablj7 related to a tie-rod, a backing-plate pivotally connected with said tilting-link, and a Wedgemember backed by said backing-plate and adapted to thrust rearwardly against the same to actuate said tilting-link and through it said gripping element While exerting forward thrusting pressure relative to a form 15 structure or the like.

3. In a pressure exerting device as delined in claim 2 in which said backing-plate is provided `with a facing of frictional material engageable by the Wedge member.'

zo 4. A pressure exerting device of the kind described engageable with the tie-rods of concrete forms or other structures, comprising a gripping element having an yopening through which a tie-rod may extend, said gripping element being tiltable relative to a tie-rod to bring edges of its opening into gripping engagement With said rod, a tilting-link pivotally connected With an end portion of said gripping element, said tilting-link having a sleeve at its free end slidable on said tie-rod, a backing-plate having an opening through which said tie-rod may extend, means to pivotally connect said backing-plate with said sleeve, and a Wedge member backed by said backing-plate.

5. A. pressure exerting device of the kind described engageable with the tie-rods o'l'` concrete forms or other structures, comprising a gripping element having an opening 4,0 through Which a tie-rod may extend, said gripping element being tiltable relative to a tie-rod to bring edges of its opening into gripping engagement With said rod, a tilting link pivotally connected With an end 1, portion of said gripping element, said tilt- I ing-link having a sleeve at its free end slidable on said tie-rod, a backing-plate having an opening through Which the tie-rod may extend, means to pivotally connect said back- 5@ ing-plate with said sleeve, a Wedge member backed by said backing-plate, and said backing-plate having a facing of frietional material engageable by said Wedge-member.

In testimony that I Claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of October, 1927.

SAMUEL S. COLT. 

